Learning To Love Again
by claw06
Summary: He doesn't want to fall in love, not again. However, there's something about Magnus Bane that seems eager to draw him in. Can Magnus get past the walls Alec's built around his heart to protect himself? Especially when Alec's past begins to resurface bringing to light secrets that even those close to him were unaware of. S1!AU Sequel to Falling
1. Chapter 1

**Summary: He doesn't want to fall in love, not again. However, there's something about Magnus Bane that seems eager to draw him in. Can Magnus get past the walls Alec's built around his heart to protect himself? Especially when Alec's past begins to resurface bringing to light secrets that even those close to him were unaware of. S1!AU**

**Sequel to **_Falling_

**TAGS: Implied/Referenced Suicide; Implied/Referenced Child Death; Dark-er! Alec; Past Domestic Violence; Temporary Character Death; OOC!Ness; Season 1!AU; Canon Typical Violence; Angel!Alec**

**Chapter 1**

"Has it really only been four years?" Murmured a voice, as its owner idly brushed his hand over the two names inscribed in the cool black stone.

_David Alejandro Vitalino_

_August 7, 1991-September 30, 2014_

_Alejandro Mikael Vitalino_

_September 19 2010-September 30, 2014_

His husband.

His son.

Both gone.

It felt like an eternity had passed since they'd been taken from him. Since he'd heard his beloved's rumbling laugh as the man told him one story or another. Since he'd held his son, who'd rambled to him about all the things he'd missed while at the institute during the day.

And he missed them.

For so long, he'd hidden his grief inside, only allowing it to come out on their anniversary and their birthdays, when he sat before the cold unforgiving stone and spoke to them. He spoke of missed moments and stolen wishes, beloved memories tainted, bittersweet by heartbreak and grief.

Every year, without fail, he visited, speaking until his voice went hoarse.

Then he'd stand as the sun slipped beneath the horizon and whisper his love to them and his prayers for their peaceful rest.

And leave.

He'd leave and shove down all the pain that made up Alexander Lightwood-Vitalino, widower, to become Alexander Lightwood, Head of the New York Institute.

This year was no different.

He spoke of the happenings of the institute, of Jace finding a new Shadowhunter who also happened to be Valentine's long lost daughter. He spoke of how he wished David was there to advise him on what to do and how he wished that Alejandro could've met Max. He spoke of how the pressure of following his parents wishes was slowly killing him.

He spoke of Magnus Bane.

"Jace and Izzy think I didn't notice he was flirting with me, but- I did. I _did_. What should I do, _amato_? I can't- I can't go through this again. I _can't_. Mom and Dad are pressuring me to marry, Izzy is trying to get me to go for Magnus, but I- he's not you."

"Maybe that is a good thing, _tesoro_." Alec jumped startled at the familiar warm voice, looking up hesitantly at the tall dark-haired man beside him. A man he hadn't seen since his husband's funeral despite the fact they spoke on the phone at least once a week.

"Michael…"

The crime lord sighed, taking a seat beside him, long hair unbound as he met Alec's gaze.

"Alex, kiddo, David would want you to be happy. He wouldn't want you to give up on your entire life. I can imagine AJ would've either."

A soft sniffle left Alec's throat. "I can't do it. Michael, Magnus is…I can't-"

Michael sighed once more, running a hand through his hair. "Did I ever tell you that Liza wanted you to file for divorce before AJ was born?"

His head shot up.

"We saw how our son treated you while you were pregnant. How you slowly became a shell of yourself and we- we hated it because we had never raised him to treat his lover that way. Mutual respect should be a given in any relationship, but he treated you like trash and we couldn't stand it. So, we started consulting with divorce lawyers in secret, to try to save you. Then AJ was born."

Alec shuddered, eyes burning with tears he knew he wouldn't allow to fall, remembering how their son's birth seemed to settle something in his husband. He remembered how the clear moments became more regular, how the drinking began to slow. How rough coupling became the love making that had gifted them their child to begin with.

Moreso, he remembered the pure love in his husband's eyes as he held their son for the first time. The way the hand that had painted his skin in purples and reds the majority of his pregnancy gently traced the babe's fragile features with a look of wonder.

Remembered his husband promising to get help and following through.

Remembered falling in love with the man all over again, even as the pain and fear lingered in his thoughts.

Michael continued speaking.

"AJ was born and suddenly you weren't showing up with new bruises every other day. You were smiling again and David, he seemed to be himself again. So, we left it alone, but we never forgot. So maybe it is a good thing this Magnus isn't my son. Maybe, he will treat you better than my David did. But, Alex," A gentle hand cupped his face. "You have to let him try."

Alec stared at his father-in-law for a moment, then pulled away, withdrawing back into himself.

"Its getting late. I need to go."

The older man's lips quirked into a sad smile.

"Just…think about what I said, Kid. Okay?"

Alec didn't respond sending a silent _'I love you' _to both of the names on the stone, before he turned and walked away. Once he was gone, Michael leaned forward, pressing his fingers to his son's names.

"There are some days I wish you weren't my son. That way I could hate you for what you did to that boy. You destroyed him, son, and I don't know if he'll ever find his way back from that."

His peace said he stood and left.

Invisible to both, a nearly transparent red-haired man bowed his head in remorse.

'_I'll fix this, angel. I promise you.'_

***/***

Alexander Lightwood.

A small smile crossed Magnus' lips as his gaze landed on the eldest Lightwood scion, taking in the stoic expression on the boy's face.

He didn't really understand what his attraction to the raven haired beauty was, well beyond his looks of course, but it was the first time since his failed relationship with Camille that he found himself wanting to explore the possibility of something more with someone.

And a s_hadowhunter _at that.

Had anyone said that to him a week ago he would've laughed in their face.

The only problem was, Alexander seemed to be fighting their attraction.

Had he not seen the boy blush at his compliments, not seen the curiosity and attraction in those beautiful hazel eyes, he'd have said that the younger man was uninterested in him. He would've thought the boy oblivious as his siblings did. However, he had seen the way the man's eyes lingered on him when they talked, how he seemed to be fighting a smile whenever he made little side comments at him.

Alexander was just as attracted to him.

So _why was he fighting it_?

It wasn't his downworlder status.

In fact, the elder shadowhunter seemed indifferent to that particular part of his dossier, treating him as if he were just another person.

It wasn't his rather…colorful past…was it?

No, he didn't tend to hide much about himself, so if it were that, the boy wouldn't have been attracted to him at all.

So, what was holding the shadowhunter back?

Why was the beautiful shadowhunter so intent on keeping him at a distance?

He huffed in silent frustration, fighting not to startle as Izzy placed a gentle hand on his arm.

"He'll come around eventually, Magnus." She assured. "My brother is very…repressed. Emotions are not something that he comes by easily."

He wanted to believe her.

He truly wanted to believe her, then he met the hazel eyed gaze of the man across from him, watching as it shuttered and closed itself off even more and he couldn't help but know.

If Alexander were ever going to open his heart to him, it was going to take more effort than Isabelle thought it would.

A slow smirk crossed his lips, and he winked at the stoic hunter who flushed and looked away.

Luckily, he was always up for a challenge.

***/***

_It's a dream._

_He knew it as soon as he took in his surroundings, and yet as he gazed into the warm oceanic gaze that often lingered behind his eyelids, he found himself unable to care all too much._

_Instead, he raced forward, burying himself in the older man's arms as he had all those years ago._

_His husband responded in kind, pulling him into a warm embrace that he had once loved and feared in equal measure. _

"_Oh, cariño" He felt the walls around his heart crumble at the sound of the man's voice, and he curled closer to him, trying to get more of the warmth that was so absent when he woke. "I've missed the feel of you in my arms." _

_Alec choked on a sob. "You made me come back."_

_He felt David nod. "I did. The world still needs you."_

_He shoved the man away. "And I needed you! I need to not visit our son's grave every year because he was killed in the one place he should've been safe. Because I failed to protect him! I need to wake up and not feel like I barely keeping my head above water. I just-" His voice broke. _

"_I just wanted us all to be together again."_

_His husband's eyes darkened with tears. "Xander, cariño, I couldn't let you die, not for me. I know, I _know_ you are suffering. I see it in your eyes every single day when you think no one is looking. I hear it, every time you visit our resting places, and I'm sorry. I'm so, so, sorry. But you have so much to live for. Your siblings, especially Max, they all still need you. The people you protect, the people under your command, they all depend on you."_

_A gentle hand cupped his cheek and he fought not to look away. "And you, you have so much good left to give the world. So much love left in you to give. Don't shut off your heart, my love. Not because of me."_

_Alec began to cry in earnest, all the grief he'd built up over the years hitting him with the force of a greater demon, and his husband pulled him closer, not yet finished. "You'll find love again. Someone that will treat you like the wonderful man you are. Someone that will love you and cherish you. And I want that for you, more than anything."_

_The darkness began to glow and yet, for the first time in a long time, the shadowhunter felt something within him settle._

_He wasn't healed, nor had the pain dulled, but for the first time since that awful night, he could breathe._

"_I love you," He whispered, pressing a kiss to the dimly glowing lips of the spirit in front of him and David smiled, that same smile he'd gifted him the night of their wedding. The smile that had melted his insides and left him blushing as if he'd been on the tail end of the more overt of Magnus' flirtations._

"_I love you too, cariño."_

"_Kiss AJ for me?"_

"_Want me to tell him its from his mama?"_

_He cursed the man, blushing furiously as he began to vanish._

"_You're the worst."_

"_And yet you married me."_

_Alec chuckled. "Yeah."_

_David was almost completely gone._

"_Xander?"_

_His heart leapt into his throat, because he was losing him all over again. "Davy?"  
A small smile left the man's lips his final words ringing in Alec's ears as he vanished completely. _

"_Its okay to let him in, beloved."_

***/***

She knew she probably wasn't in the best state of mind.

She _wasn't_.

But, as she stared at the care worn picture before her, she couldn't help the pain that lanced through her.

She missed him.

She shouldn't, not after the way he'd hurt her. But-

She missed him so fucking much.

She missed his kiss, the way his arms felt around her. Missed the way he held her as they lay panting for breath after they made love.

Gods, did she miss him.

And yet, he was gone forever.

And it was all her fault.

Her vision blurred and she couldn't tell if it was from the alcohol, the tears, or the blood loss.

Nor did she care.

She-

She just wanted to see him again…

**Tbc…**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

Eileen Gardner, 32.

Jason Hardison, 52.

Kaitlyn James, 26.

Leon Hayfeather, 19.

Four dead mundanes in two months and still there were no leads as to what was killing them. No connection.

Alec pursed his lips as he stared at the screens in front of him, wondering just what he was missing, and why it felt as if the connection between the four victims should be obvious.

What was he not seeing?

He turned, ready to ask Jace or Izzy to help him find the connection, only for his heart to lurch painfully in his chest as he remembered that they were on another mission to help Clary.

Another unsanctioned mission.

Another thing for the Clave to hound him about.

Another night of sleep lost.

He heaved a tired sigh, shoulders slumping slightly, the stress of the past few weeks piling higher and higher with each passing day.

Usually he'd at least be able to rant out his feelings to Izzy, but since the arrival of Clary, she and Jace had seemed more interested in helping the girl find her mother than helping her learn the rules of their society. And truly, he sympathized with her, he _did_, but he couldn't help but hate her.

He hated that she was continuously putting his family in danger.

Hated how they followed her footsteps with no care to the future he had tried so hard to secure for them. That he continuously sacrificed bits of himself for.

Hated how it felt like they'd replaced him.

Logically, he knew that they wouldn't do that to him, but the fear was still there, steady and thriving with every step they took against him. With every move that told him that they didn't trust him, whether it be due to the feelings that they thought he had for Jace, or the perceived jealousy they thought those feelings brought.

It didn't matter.

"Pleasant thoughts?"

He jolted, turning to find his mother standing behind him, a worried look on her face.

One he hadn't seen since he was in his early teens.

It was a look he was sure he'd never see again, not after turning down his parents proposal that he marry so that they would keep the institute.

He couldn't.

Not after what had happened with his last marriage.

Remembering that she'd asked him a question, he pulled on his best small smile, brittle and faux, and turned back to the screen.

"Not particularly. What can I do for you?"

She sighed, placing another file in front of him.

"Two more murders, downworlders."

He took it with a frown.

"Two? Still no leads on what's killing them?"

Maryse shook her head. "No, not yet." She hesitated for a moment. "Perhaps you should get some rest, Alec. You're no good if you're tired."

"I'm fine."

For a moment, she looked as if she wanted to argue, then she sighed.

"It wasn't a request. Go rest, Alec."

He scowled, his frustration mounting and he wanted so badly to cry, to _yell_.

He didn't.

Instead, he let out a slow breath and turned his gaze to the file she'd given him, a sudden detail catching his eye.

His breath hitched and he spun around to face the screen, his eyes flitting from panel to panel.

"How did I miss this?"

Maryse frowned, leaning forward.

"Alec?"

"Eileen Gardner, her wife was killed in a home invasion eight years ago. She tried to commit suicide shortly after but was found by a family friend and rushed to the hospital."

He pointed to the next screen, not noticing his mother's deepening frown.

"Jason Hardison, his wife was killed on their doorstep three years ago trying to protect their daughter from her abusive boyfriend. He shot them both and Jason, but help arrived in time to save him."

He gestured to the screen beside it. "Kaitlyn's husband was found dead from a gunshot wound five years ago. His dead was ruled a suicide but she was put under suspicion when she tried to kill herself days later. Hayfeather's wife was killed a year ago in a car accident with their unborn son."

"They're all widowed. A grief demon?"

He nodded, brow furrowing as he looked down at the files. "Its the same with the downworlder. Aloise Bradshaw, her mate was killed by a rogue circle member three months ago. Kallen Travis lost his around the same time."

His eyes widened and he turned to his mother. "I need to speak with Luke."

She pursed her lips. "Why?"

He raised Aloise's file. "Says here Aloise survived. She's still heavily wounded but she's alive. She may be able to give us an idea of what we're dealing with."

She nodded watching as he turned to get ready, reaching out to him before he could leave.

"Promise me you'll rest when we come back."

"We?"

She nodded firmly. "We. I'm not going to let you go without back up because your siblings are out gallivanting with the Fairchild girl. So I'll accompany you and when we return, you need to rest."

He stared at her, bewildered by the change and her eyes softened.

"Please, Alec."

After a moment he nodded and walked towards the weapons room trying and failing to convince himself he wasn't running.

***/***

"She's barely spoken a word since she woke up, but Magnus said she was drunk enough that even without the attack she might've died."

Alec nodded and Luke felt himself hesitating to let the two Shadowhunters into the room where the injured wolf was resting.

According to what he'd seen of the young man and what Clary had told him, the man wasn't exactly warm and fuzzy. Hell, according to Simon, his bedside manner was abysmal.

Furthermore, Maryse had never been the best at comforting others, her demeanor growing cold following her brother's deruning and get parents murderers. He couldn't help not wanting to let them in.

Still, Aloise has agreed to speak to them, so with a stern warning to the duo, led them into the room. There, they found Magnus leaving, his own gaze warming as Alec appeared. Aloise hummed softly at their arrival, her blue eyes exhausted as they met Luke's.

He nodded gently and she sighed.

"You wanted to set me?"

For a moment, Alec stared at her. Then he took a seat at her bedside, his voice soft.

"We believe you may have been targeted by a grief demon, though we're aren't sure which one." He paused. "All we know is that it's targeting widowed people."

There was a moment of hesitation before he sighed. "I know this may hurt but, can you tell us about your mate? "

Her eyes watered and she let out a bitter laugh. "You don't know anything!" She snarled suddenly angry and Luke tensed, ready to step in, but she didn't attack. Instead she glared at Alec furiously, eyes blazing bright blue.

"You have no _idea_ how much I loved Noah! No idea how much it _hurts_ and how awful it feels to miss him when you shouldn't. Why would anyone miss someone who would beat them and degrade them?! Who'd apologize only -"

"Only to do it again the next day. " The room went still as the archer spoke, the emotion in his voice so raw and so real that it left them stunned. It wasn't the voice of someone sympathizing…it was the one of someone who'd experienced it.

"Then eventually the apologies stop and all you can do is bare with it and hope that eventually he'll go back to the man you fell in love with. Then he's gone and it doesn't matter anymore because it _hurts_. And you miss him so much you can hardly breathe."

He met her gaze, giving her a bitter smile. "I wish I could tell you that the feeling gets better, but I-" he fell silent as if suddenly realizing what he'd said and who he'd revealed it to.

Maryse was staring at her son with horror in her eyes, dark gaze full of pain, but Aloise stared at him in understanding.

"When?"

"Four years ago. Being a Shadowhunter, I've always believed it would lead to the death of anyone I dared to love. But in that moment, I became more aware of the danger in the mundane world than I have ever been." He paused then glanced at his mother, who swallowed thickly.

When she spoke, her voice was barely a whisper.

"Three months, you wore a white tie to every meeting. When you weren't in a suit you wore a white cuff. We couldn't figure out who you were mourning. Oh _hijo_, how long were you together?"

He looked away, stunned that she didn't care that he was gay, especially given her earlier insistence that he marry, but he hurt too much to mention it. "Four years."

Aloise sniffled, smiling warmly,so different from her earlier reaction, and Luke's eyes widened remembering when he'd run into the young shadowhunter all those years ago. He wanted to ask, to find out what had happened to the child that Alec had been carrying, but something warned him against it.

Clearing his throat, the archer forced away the remembered grief and pain, his face becoming the mask of stoicism it had been so when he entered. When he spoke they realized his voice had followed the transformation. It made them wonder how often he had done it, considering how smooth the transition was.

The thought was not reassuring.

With resolute calm, he guided Aloise into giving as much information as she could remember about her attack, which admittedly not much given how drunk she'd been at the time. Once he was done, he stood and gifted her with another smile, this one much more subdued than the first, and handed her a slip of paper with his phone number.

"I know I'm probably the last person you want to talk to about this...but if you ever need someone to talk to... I'll be there." She smiled wanly and thanked him.

He nodded then with nary another word he left the room. Maryse gave Luke a nod of thanks and turned to follow her son, mind whirling with all that she'd learned in the past hour.

Alec was waiting for her outside of the room, his eyes closed as he took several deep breaths.

"How mad are you?" He asked without opening his eyes and she flinched as if struck.

"I'm not mad at you, Alexander. I just-" She paused noticing several eyes glancing in their direction.

"Come, we'll talk at the institute."

He nodded, but there was a grim resignation in his eyes as he followed her that tugged at her heart. As they walked she could only hope her son would come to forgive her, and that maybe, just maybe he'd allow her to explain everything before he decided.

**TBC…**

* * *

**A/N: So, I decided to go with Good Parent Maryse on this one. I loved how her character has grown over the course of the last two seasons and the bond between her and Alec is something I wish the show would've built on more. Also next chapter our favorite in-laws are back and they have news.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

The walk back to the institute was silent, both shadowhunters trapped in their own thoughts. It was only once they were in the safety of Alec's bedroom that the silence was broken.

"May I?"

Alec inclined his head, watching passively as his mother took a seat at his desk, her dark eyes watching in turn as he sat on the bed across from her.

Once they were seated, she spoke again, her voice soft and pained. "I guess I should explain."

He nodded and she sighed. "I've known about your preferences for a while. I overheard you and Isabelle talking the other night and while I wish you would've felt comfortable telling me...I understand that I haven't really given you the indication that I would be comfortable with it."

Looking away, the archer shrugged. "You and Dad always seem so disappointed in me," he admitted. "I didn't want to give you another reason to hate me."

Maryse flinched at his words, her eyes widening. "I would never hate you!" SHe replied fiercely. "I just- I was scared!"

Her son looked up at her, and in his eyes she saw a vulnerability she hadn't seen in years. It made her heart ache and the words were spilling from her lips before she could really temper them.

"I know how the Clave treats anyone they deem defective and I couldn't- I can't lose you too. Your uncle Max, he fell in love with a mundane man and the Clave deruned him for it. I couldn't let the same thing happen to you." She looked away. "With the radicals in charge now, you're more likely to face death than you are to face deruning."

Alec stared at her, then smiled a tiny thing full of awe and warmth and she felt her aching heart shatter.

Was she really so bad of a mother that her son doubted that she'd protect him?

That she loved him?

The answer was so obvious it hurt.

After all, since he began his training all those years ago, she'd been less his mother and more his commander, trying her best to make sure he was strong enough to weather the challenges he would face. She had made sure he knew that above all things, he was to protect their family, no matter the cost.

She'd turned her baby into a warrior and a protector...but she had also helped destroy his self worth.

It was a terrible realization.

Her son, the same child she'd once sang to and taught the language of her home, had grown into this man, fearful but protective.

Loving.

As proud as she was of his growth, it made her want to cry.

Instead, she crossed the room and pulled him into a hug, hoping her embrace would express all of the emotions she couldn't put into words.

He burrowed closer, strong arms wrapping around her in kind, a minute tremble in them.

A low, broken sound escaped him, unfamiliar and heart wrenching.

"Mama," he whimpered and she closed her eyes pained, tightening her arms around him, as she realized that the days emotions and the lack of sleep was all catching up with him. That it was tearing him apart.

Her son was...crying.

Her long cooled maternal instincts flared in response and she began to hum. Alec continued to sob almost soundlessly in her arms, his large frame shaking and she held him through it all, murmuring softly into his hair.

After a while, the body in her arms fell limp and she glanced down to find him fast asleep, soft whimpers still leaving his lips. She pulled him closer, unwilling to let him go just yet, and closed her eyes, allowing a few tears of her own to fall. Still, she continued to whisper soft words of comfort to him, never noticing when she joined him in the realm of morpheus.

Instead, all she could think about was the fact that her son had suffered such a significant loss and she'd never known a thing.

***/***

* * *

In the end, he doesn't fight it.

As claws dug into his chest, image of his pregnant wife flashing behind his eyelids, all he could think about was how much he'd failed her.

She'd depended on him, on his magic to protect her, to protect their unborn daughter and he'd failed on both accounts, unable to do anything but beg and plead as those wretched mundanes destroyed her sanity and slit her throat.

He'd killed them.

Each of them, but his grief hadn't lessened, as strong as it had been when he'd first seen the light leave her eyes.

His head spun, black dots clouding his vision and he gasped, reaching a trembling hand forward as she appeared before him, all warm green eyes and resplendent mahogany hair.

"A-aria…" He breathed, and as oblivion overtook him a warm smile crossed his lips, his magic raging beneath his skin.

Moments later a thundering explosion shook the night.

***/* **

"Another one?"

Luke nodded solemnly as he led Magnus to the scene of the latest death, the building still smoldering slightly as his pck worked to put out the fire.

"A warlock this time. According to Maryse and Alec, the targets are all grieving widows and widowers. The Clave thinks its the work of a grief demon."

Beside Magnus, Raphael snorted. "No wonder the nephilim remain unaffected. You have to be able to feel to grieve."

Magnus snickered, but Luke shot them both a warning look, remembering the age old pain in Alec's voice when he'd spoken to Aloise that morning. That amount of emotion couldn't be faked, nephilim or not.

Worse, as a former nephilim, he knew just how strong their capability to love was.

It was why they were taught to control their emotions in the first place. Shadowhunters felt everything in extremes. If they loved, they loved so strong it bordered on obsession. If they dislike something they _hated _ it.

Its why nephilim like Valentine were so feared.

Their ability to hate, to love, to _feel _ was so strong that without the rigid control that they were taught from their youth, they'd be one of the most violent, erratic races around.

Shaking his head, he set about looking through the rubble, his hand stopping as it found a burned photograph.

A young warlock with deep blue scales around his eyes and the side of his throat had his arms wrapped around a laughing dark haired woman, her green eyes dancing with mischief. The warlock was one he recognized, a 200 year-old named Ian Haridian, and his heart sank as he realized that Maryse and Alec may have been correct.

The woman in the picture was Ian's late wife, Aria, who'd been viciously murdered by mundanes only a couple of weeks ago. Ian had killed her attackers and Luke, despite his horror at the gruesome murders had helped him escape the mundane authorities.

After all, if it had been Jocelyn, he would've done a lot worse.

Heaving a heavy sigh, he pulled out his phone, dialing the number Alec had left with Alosie. To his surprise, Maryse answered, her voice heavy with sleep.

"_Lightwood." _

"There's been another murder. A warlock."

He heard her sitting up, listening as another voice grumbled in the background. However, the voice that responded to him was not her, but her son. _"Widowed?" _

"Yeah. The buildings still burning so the demon couldn't have gotten far."

"_Address?" _

He rambled it off quickly and the younger Lightwood gave a quiet grunt. " _Lightwood out._ "

Hanging up, Luke turned back to the investigation, only to find Magnus watching him wearing a peculiar expression. "What?"

"You have Alexander's number?"

The werewolf nodded slowly, noting the flash of jealousy in the warlock's eyes before he sighed. "How did the interview go with Aloise?"

"Surprising."

Raphael raised an eyebrow. "The shadowhunters?"

Luke sighed. "No. Just...surprising."

"Luke!" He turned, raising an eyebrow as a familiar trio reached them.

Clary, Isabelle, and Jace ran over to them, their gazes roving the burning building as the former hugged him. "That was quick. Were you already in the area when Alec called?"

Jace frowned. "He didn't. We were looking for Meliorn for more information on the Seelie Queen's involvement with Valentine and heard the explosion, so we decided to check it out."

A dark, niggling feeling gnawed at Luke's gut as he remembered the exhaustion in Alec's eyes when they'd met earlier that morning and Maryse's surprising return to the field after her years in Idris working as an Institute head.

Somehow, he found himself wondering if Jace and Izzy were even aware of what their actions could lead to for Alec if they continued the way they were.

He doubted it.

Clary's voice pulled him from his thoughts. "What happened here?"

"A murder. We believe that the warlock's magic caused the explosion after he was killed in a last minute effort to kill his attacker." Magnus responded, his eyes lighting up as they were joined by two more shadowhunters.

Alec looked similar to how he had when they'd met in the early hours of the morning for Aloise's interview, only now his bow and quiver were slung over his shoulder, twin daggers strapped to his thigh. To the surprise of the three younger shadowhunters, Maryse was beside him, her dark hair pulled back into a braided bun. Clad in runed leather, twin sais on her back, she looked as lethal as she had been when Luke had met her all those years ago, her eyes dark as she looked at the trio behind him.

Rather than berating them as he expected her to do, she spoke in a cool professional tone. "We spotted the demon three blocks from here. It looks injured so we're going to try and get it before it kills anyone else. Bane, try to see if you can trace its summoner."

Magnus stared at her, his eyes narrowed, then he rolled his eyes. "Fine, but only because it killed one of mine."

She nodded, then after a glance shared with Alec, the two eldest Lightwoods were gone as silently as they'd appeared. Isabelle and Jace stared after them with a confused frown.

Raphael scowled. "Looks like the Huntress is back in the field."

Luke shuddered remembering the protectiveness she'd displayed when Alec had been comforting Aloise and had revealed his own pain. The shadow world was changing and he found himself wondering if it would be for the better or for worse.

***/* **

Killing the demon was surprisingly anti-climatic.

Alec found himself watching numbly as the grotesque beast burned on his blade. Behind him, his mother was holding her shoulder from where it had thrown her into the wall.

Images flashed through his mind of laughing blue eyes and a gentle smile, his heart screaming in pain and he flinched. Since they'd found the demon, his memories of his husband had been haunting him, more vivid than they'd been outside of his dreams in years.

His lungs screamed for the air that he was denying them, everything in him numb and he only came back to himself as a strong hand encircled his wrist.

"Breathe, _hijo_ ."

He inhaled shakily, leaning into her touch, then exhaled, feeling his eyes burn. He shoved the feeling away, turning to face her. She sent him a comforting smile, sheathing her sais.

"I saw him." He whispered and her heart ached for him, her grip on his wrist tightening.

"Tell me about him?"

He gave her a bitter smile. "We met when I was sixteen. Dad had kept praising Jace and I felt so jealous because I couldn't figure out why I wasn't good enough. I snuck out and went to the park and met David there. He was so sad when we met, but he listened to me, and I listened to him. He was so passionate, and I'd never met someone so _warm_ ."

His eyes softened to a molten honey color. " I fell so fast it was ridiculous and he didn't even know I was a shadowhunter. When he found out, I thought he would be angry and he was, but not because I was a shadowhunter. He was angry because my life was always in danger. His family, they accepted it so readily, like I was already theirs."

Maryse smiled, but Alec's discussion with Aloise came back to her. "What changed?"

His expression darkened into something bitter and full of self-repose, but before he could speak again, they were joined by Luke, Clary, Jace, and Izzy. Sending him a warm look, she pulled her hand away subtly, turning her attention to the new arrivals.

"Do we know who summoned the demon?"

"Magnus traced it back to the summoning back to a mundane club a few blocks from here. I checked the police database, and its owned by a mundane man named James Rico."

Beside her, Alec's gaze shot to the werewolf with a sudden laser-like intensity.

"James Lysander Rico?"

Luke nodded and the archer's expression went entirely blank, his eyes burning with a hatred she had never seen. Before she could ask him about it, he was gone.

***/***

* * *

His son was missing.

Michael Vitalino was not a man prone to panic, but after losing his eldest son all those years ago, he couldn't help the ice cold fear ensnaring him. Daniel had grown cold with his brother's loss and the loss of his nephew, especially as Alec grew more estranged from them. He'd immersed himself in the darkness of their world returning with dark eyes and the haunted whispers of his brother-in-law's name hovering over him. With David's death and Alex's attack on his killers, their feud with the Rico family had grown more volatile.

More dangerous.

Everything in him screamed that they had his son.

Hands shaking, he wrapped his arms around his wife, listening as she dialed the number of the one person in their family that James Rico feared.

It was time for Xander Vitalino to resurface once more.

**TBC... **


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four  
**

James Lysander Rico, patriarch of the Rico Family.

There wasn't a single person alive that he hated more than he hated that man.

Just the thought of him sent burning hatred coursing through Alec's veins, though not a single instance of it showed on his face.

With all that had happened lately, the murders and then revealing one of his most guarded secrets, he felt more volatile than he had since that night so long ago. Hearing that name, it sent the memories flooding back and he barely noticed as he entered the institute. He didn't notice that he'd entered the Ops room on instinct, nor that he'd been followed.

No.

His mind was miles away, trapped in the hellish flashback of that night, and the nauseating mix of grief and hatred it flooded him with.

He remembered it with vivid clarity, from the warmth and laughter they'd shared as they'd returned home to the slick coppery scent of blood afterwards. Remembered being so _happy _one moment, his son warm and alive in his arms as he babbled about his day, his husband chuckling just a few feet away. Then-

-_Crack-_

The deafening crack of gunfire as their door was kicked down. His own cries of terror as fear consumed him.

The lifeless weight of his most precious person in his arms, the warm tacky feel of his blood on his hands. The still form of the other lying beside him.

His own screams of grief as they were taken away.

His hands tightened into fists and his lips curled into a dangerous snarl, his wings shifting restlessly under his glamour.

Rico had taken _everything _from him.

Everything!

His ability to see his son grow, to hear his husband laugh!

The possibility of them meeting his family, of AJ coming to know his grandmother, and his uncles and aunt.

The possibility of AJ going to school, graduating.

His first date.

Marriage!

Everything his son could've accomplished in life, had been stolen the night Rico's men had stormed their home and killed him.

He'd thought, when he'd gone after them, that he'd destroyed them.

All of them.

But if Rico was truly behind the demon, that meant he'd missed him. He didn't know how, and honestly, he really didn't care. All he knew was that as soon as he was in his sights, Rico was going to die.

A hand landed on his shoulder, jerking him from his thoughts and he snarled dangerously, on for his gaze to meet that of his mother's.

There was worry there, but more so there was vengeance, as if she knew that Rico had hurt him. As if she wanted to hunt him down as much as he did, and it settled the beast inside of him, if only slightly.

Forcing his face to go blank, he nodded to her to let her know that he was calm now, and she gave a sharp nod back before turning to the others. He idly wondered when they'd returned, faintly remembering that his siblings, and Clary had been at the crime scene when he'd showed up.

Another unsanctioned mission, no doubt.

Something else to batter against his already fragile hold on what was left of himself.

Why were they even there?

Luke began to speak, and he turned to the wolf, noticing Magnus watching him from the corner of his eye. There was something like concern in the warlock's gaze, and he found himself wanting to reassure him, but he couldn't. Not when exhaustion and hate and _grief_ were eating him alive, sinking like lead to the pit of his stomach.

"James Rico is a mundane crime lord. The police have been trying to find him since a massacre at his downtown club four years ago. According to the reports, over eighty-nine people were found dead in the building, Fifteen more were critically injured and died either in the hospital or en route there."

Maryse scowled. "That's too large of a body count for us not to have gotten a report about it."

Luke nodded. "As far as I know, no one got a report. Even the mundane police didn't. All record of it and the bodies of the victims disappeared almost overnight. Within a week no one would dare speak of it, but most of the mundane criminal underground could agree that it happened. Whenever they're asked, they just say the Banshee came for his due."

Alec hid the dark curl of satisfaction that flashed through him. Between his contacts in the clave's darker shadows and in the mundane underground, not a single piece of evidence had been left behind.

"So why the demon?" He asked monotonously, and his former "uncle" sent him a wary look.

"Rico's son was amongst those killed in the massacre. Most of the blame was placed on their rivals, the Vitalino family, especially since Michael Vitalino's son was kill only days before."

The archer bit back a flinch at the mention, pain lancing his heart, before Jace spoke.

"So this is all a mundane tur-"

A phone rang.

Alec frowned, realizing it was his phone. As he answered it, he felt his earlier fury return burning hotter and more violently than before.

His mother-in-law was on the other end, her voice broken as she sobbed out something that sent his hatred lashing out of him.

"_Alex, h-he h-has Danny!"_

Standing, he turned to leave the room, his voice cold and vicious as he replied to her pain, her _fear_.

"I'm on my way."

Snapping the phone shut he turned to his mother, knowing she and everyone else could see the fury dancing in his gaze.

"James Rico has another bar downtown, a front for his more unsavory business. You have less than five minutes to get ready or I'm leaving you here. Move!"

No one dared to question him, though he could see his siblings share a look as they left.

He didn't care.

Nothing mattered until Danny was back home and Rico was dead at his feet.

***/***

Something had changed.

Jace could see it in the tension coiling his parabatai's shoulders, the hatred glittering in those hazel-green eyes, the way Alec's lips had curled into that vicious snarl the moment Luke had uttered the name of the mundane were searching for.

He could see it in the way their mother was watching her eldest something dangerous and protective in her eyes and he found himself wondering if anyone else knew what had riled the most dangerous members of their family.

Everyone looked at Maryse Lightwood and her eldest son and they saw the family politicians. They saw the ruthless woman who had stood at her husband's side as he grew more powerful, but they never saw he for herself.

Valentine had once told him that Maryse was the deadliest person he'd ever met and had Jace been anyone else he'd agree. However, he'd seen her train before. Seen her spar with Alec, her lithe form twisting powerfully as with precision. Now as her watched her, as he saw the way she watched Alec, he knew she was ready to rain down hell on this Rico for whatever he'd done to his brother.

Then there was Alec.

If asked, anyone would say that Alec was an amazing shadowhunter. He was the _obedient_ son, the one that followed orders.

While this was true, he was also deadly.

To date, he was the most lethal person Jace had ever met.

Alec bottled so much inside of himself, training himself to push down his emotions and forcing his body through a regimen that even most shadowhunters would balk at.

Had Jace not been the only one to ever see what happens when those emotions exploded, he'd probably not realize how deadly his parabatai was.

It had only happened once, but he'd never forget it.

Izzy had been injured on a mission a few years back, stabbed through the stomach by a rouge warlock. Alec had frozen mid attack, watching wide-eyed as their little sister fell limp, then he'd snapped.

Jace had watched, stunned as his brother beat the warlock to death with his bare hands, hazel eyes glazed and beyond reason. Even his shadow had been furious, rising to loom over the terrifying man in the shape of angel wings.

Afterwards, Alec had nearly crawled to Izzy's side, his eyes full of pain and fear and grief, something fragile in his voice as he called to her. When she'd groaned, the archer had given such a profound sigh of relief, that the blonde couldn't help but echo him.

He'd never forgotten that day, even though it was never brought up again, the red-hot rage Alec had felt forever burning through him like it was his own.

It was the same now, tinted bitter by hatred, but scorching through their bond all the same and for a moment, just one, Jace felt himself pitying the mundane.

Whatever he'd done to Alec, he would pay for tenfold.

Alec wouldn't let him leave alive.

He glanced back at their mother as they left the institute, and he shuddered at the darkness in her gaze.

And neither would Maryse.

***/***

Beautiful.

The danger in every coil of Alexander Lightwood's muscles called to Magnus' darker half. The hatred burning in his eyes, the snarl on his lips, all of it made the demonic half of Magnus stir and take note.

Something about this James Rico character had set Alexander in a rage, but whatever had been said during the phone call he'd received during their meeting had ignited it even higher.

As they left the institute, the archer settled into a prowl, his eyes nearly black with the hatred and rage burning in them and he found himself wanting to know why.

Why would the name of one mundane infuriate a Nephilim like this?

Nephilim tended to operate amongst themselves, policing both the downworld and the mundanes but rarely interfering. Before this case, he'd hardly noticed their presence, beyond unfortunate encounters in pandemonium and his recent involvement with biscuit's memories.

Rico, however, he was familiar with. The man was cordial on a good day, although after losing his sons he was colder.

His club was nearly as popular as Pandemonium, but more exclusive, and he couldn't help but wonder how they would get in.

When he posed this question, Alexander had bared his teeth in a vicious parody of a smile.

"We will."

As they arrived, the archer signaled for them to lose their glamours, his walk sliding into a smooth stalking gait.

The mundane guarding the door froze at the sight of them, or rather the raven haired shadowhunter in front of their group.

"Oh god…" He whispered, his eyes wide and full of _fear_.

Well, now.

This certainly got a lot more interesting.

Alec raised an eyebrow. "Is he in?"

The bouncer nodded rapidly, backing away as the raven moved closer. "Y-yes. B-Backroom. H-he was waiting for you."

"Oh?" A purr, and suddenly the shadowhunter in front of them was an entirely new being.

Something dangerous and beautiful.

Predatory.

"Lead us in." It wasn't a request.

Trembling, the mundane did as bid, keeping an eye on Alec at all times. As they entered the room went quiet, a sense of fear and awe in the air.

"That's him." One voice whispered.

"The Banshee." Came another.

"Dios mio. He's going to kill us all."

Magnus glanced at the others in their group, noting all but two seemed as confused as he was.

Only Luke and Maryse looked as if the pieces were coming together. He wondered what they were seeing.

They were led into a private room where three men were waiting.

The first was a young man around the same age as Jace and Isabelle. He was covered in bruises, his blue eyes full of awe and pain as they looked upon them. Dark crimson hair fell in disarray from his ponytail, and a thin trail of blood was caked on the corner of his lips.

The next was a tall man, with cold jade eyes. Fear was stealthily hidden in his eyes as he stood protectively behind the last, his dark hair shorn close to his scalp.

It was the final man that caught Magnus' attention, however.

Standing at 6'3, James Rico was an intimidating man, His long black curls were pulled back into a strict tail, but his dark eyes gleamed with madness and grief, the hatred in them burning just as bright as Alexander's had as they met the archer's gaze. Worse was the vicious scars marring the right side of his face, as if he's been slashed by a knife…multiple time over.

"Alexander Vitalino, in the flesh. I'm honored."

Alec stared at him impassively.

"James Rico." He replied, voice like colder than anything Magnus had ever heard. "Pity you didn't die with your son. I should have been more thorough."

Rico hummed idly. "Perhaps. Tell me, how is David doing?"

Something in Alec's eyes cracked, but the crime lord wasn't finished.

"Or better…How is little Alejandro?"

**TBC…**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Okay, so this chapter flows so weird. Hopefully the next one comes out a bit better.**

* * *

**Chapter Five**

He remembered that night like it was yesterday.

Remembered the rage boiling in his blood trying to drown out the grief and the pain tearing him apart. Remembered the fear in the eyes of the people he'd killed, Rico's scream of anger as he saw the slain form of his eldest son. The dark vindictiveness that had coiled hot and fierce in his gut edged with jealousy because while Rico had seen his son grow up and Alec, Alec had not.

Rico had stolen that chance from him, leaving him trapped in a seemingly endless cycle of jealousy and agony, and worse… he'd had the nerve to speak his son's name. He'd had the audacity the sully his baby's name by speaking it aloud when Alec had done him the _courtesy_ of keeping Rico's son's name from leaving his lips.

The same rage that had guided him in killing those men returned, racing through him so violently that he felt his gums ache. The phantom taste of copper lined his throat and he barely noticed when Daniel lunged at Rico, blue eyes furious.

"You fucking bastard!"The younger male snarled, gasping as Rico's guard stuck him again.

Alec was moving before he could think about it.

Suddenly, all he could see was Rico's smug smirk, and the blooming bruises on his brother-in-law's skin. All he could hear was the terrified cries of his son as their home was invaded and riddled with bullets. Hatred, grief, and rage, toxic and empowering all at once set his heart racing and when he came back to himself, he was almost stunned to find himself with his fist through the chest of the guard that had stuck Daniel. Said guard looked just as surprised, gasping wordlessly as blood spilled past his lips. Dropping the man carelessly, he turned that same impassive gaze on Rico, who was staring at him with fear and anger in his eyes.

"Do. Not. " He rumbled, and his wings bristled beneath his glamour, the only sign of his fury. "My son was_ innocent _and you- _your_ son- took him from me. " He leaned closer, his dark eyes watching dispassionately as the crime lord's facade of confidence faltered.

Still, the man tried to maintain it.

"He was a Vitalino. He was guilty by associ-urk!"

A fist rammed itself into his stomach and Luke grabbed Alec before he could kill the insolent mundane.

"Magnus, he's not going to tell us willingly. " The wolf warned, tightening his grip on the archer.

The warlock nodded slowly, his mind reeling as he took in the furious shadowhunter Luke was holding in place. The young man was statue still, dark eyes glaring at Rico as if he could destroy the man by looks alone.

Since they'd arrived, he found himself more stunned by the restraint Alexander was showing, especially given what he'd just unwittingly revealed to them all. The man Rico had been holding hostage stood shakily, stumbling over to the eldest Lightwood son as Magnus' magic wrapped around the crime lord.

"Alex," He murmured softly, and shadowhunter glanced at him, keen eyes skating over the younger's frame before turning back to Rico. The warlock ripped into the man's mind with little care causing him to cry out, his frown deepening as he saw just how the man had discovered their world.

Iris Rouse.

Apparently the mundane had been helping her get more women for her experiments in return for information. He'd thought Alexander was a demon, something otherworldly that his opponents had sent to destroy him, having little idea that he wasn't until he'd kidnapped the young Mundane man. Only then had he discovered the true reason for Alexander's rampage.

His family had killed the young captive's brother and nephew...Alexander's husband and son.

Magnus yanked away from the man disgusted, turning back to his companions. Maryse had moved to her eldest son's side, her arms wrapped around him as he stared blankly at Rico's trembling form. Beside them, Jace was echoing his parabatai's rage, blue eyes burning as they glared at the mundane crime lord. Isabelle seemed both furious and confused and suddenly it occurred to him that Alexander had probably never shared this information with his family.

After all, nephilim were far from the most accepting race. If the younger man had truly been married to a mundane man, he would've had to keep it secret. After all, the Clave would've killed him otherwise. The only thing that didn't make sense was the son mentioned by them both, which he supposed was the husband's from a previous relationship.

Maryse broke him from his thoughts, her gaze full of hatred and fury as she looked up from her son. "Do we know who his contact was?" She all but growled and he fought back a flinch.

Maryse Lightwood had been one of the deadliest members of Valentine's army, her ruthlessness known to all of the Shadow world. She was quick on her feet and fiercely protective of her own, and he'd lost many to her blade when they'd dared to hurt nephilim under her command. The fact that this mundane had caused her son so much pain and that she hadn't known, well.

He had little doubt that she planned to destroy him and the people that had helped him.

The worst part was, as he looked at the young archer shielded in her arms, he couldn't even bring himself to stop her. Instead he sighed.

"Iris Rouse. She's been on the Labyrinth's radar for a while now. We lost track of her three years ago when went to investigate her. Apparently, he's been providing her with women for her warlock breeding ring and in return she's been giving him information. Rico had been under the impression that the Vitalino family summoned Alexander to kill him. It's only after he took this young man"- he gestured to the young red-head speaking quietly to Alexander- "that he realized he wasn't."

As he finished, Alec spoke, his voice almost a growl.

"All of this, to draw me out? Why? Revenge?"

"You took my son from me! I lost everything, all because of _**you**_!" Rico spat. "Because you couldn't control your emotions! You killed over 100 of my people, including my son and my lover!"

The archer glared. "Your son walked into my home on your orders," he snarled. "He and your people opened fire on your orders! He _killed _my family _on your orders!_" He lunged, lips curling into a feral sneer as his parabatai stopped him.

"I wanted you dead! You and everything you love! Just so you would feel every second of the agony you've forced me to live through."

The raven paused, his gaze shifting just slightly, and suddenly he calmed. He calmed and he glanced at his young companion.

"Belladonna."

The former captive smirked, vicious and satisfied. "Then we should leave." He turned to Rico, who seemed suspicious of the sudden turn of events.

"What does that mean?" He asked and Alec stared at him, slipped out of his parabatai's restrictive grip. They half expected him to lunged for the crime lord again, but instead he stepped forward and kissed him on the cheek.

A simple brush of his lips on the older man's stubbled cheek.

Then he turned, and walked away.

Rico paled violently, and just as they were going to turn and follow the archer from the room, a single resounding gunshot sounded and the mundane fell to the ground dead.

The captive they rescued grinned violent and fierce, then looked at them.

"We should catch up to Alex before he burns this place to the ground."

Isabelle frowned. "He wouldn't do that." She argued and the mundane smirked.

"Okay."

Magnus blinked but followed him. They found Alec outside the building, staring up at it with rage and grief warring for dominance in his eyes, the rest of his expression blank. Beside him, stood an older mundane man, with features similar to the captive they'd rescued. Long dark hair pulled back in a neat tail, dark blue eyes, the man was handsome and calm.

"Killing them won't bring them back, _tesoro_." The man was saying, but his eyes were just as darkened with pain as the young nephilim's.

"I know."

"It would make us feel better though." The young former captive said as they approached and the older man chuckled roughly pulling the smaller man into a hug.

"Daniel," He breathed in relief. "Your mother and I were worried."

"I can tell. You sent Alex after Rico, dad. What the hell were you thinking?!"

The older man glared, but turned to the rest of them. "Thank you for saving my son. Come, we can talk at my home while my love takes care of Rico's men."

The young man, Daniel, nodded, placing a gentle hand on Alec's arm. "C'mon, Alex. Let's get home before your _famiglia_ loses it trying to assimilate everything."

Alec blinked as if he'd only just realized that they'd all been present, and he flushed slightly, looking away. Daniel's father led them to a parked SUV and Magnus could see that several of the group wanted to argue. However they didn't too curious about everything they'd learned that night.

Once they were inside, the SUV began to move...but still no one spoke.

He couldn't help but wonder just what was waiting for them at the end of the ride, and how it would change everything.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

The ride was silent.

He could feel the eyes of nearly everyone in the car burning into him three in worry, the rest in a mix of confusion and fear, but he felt numb to it all.

The rage had cooled, simmering back into the cage he always kept it in, leaving him hollow in its wake and for just a moment he yearned to be in the training room at the institute. At least there he'd be able to escape into the harsh throes of training until he was too exhausted to do anything else. Instead, he was trapped in this vehicle, staring out the window into the night as he moved closer and closer to a home that held many of the bittersweet memories he'd locked away.

A hand on his arm, gentle but grounding, drew him from his thoughts as they continued to spiral and he turned to find Michael watching him.

"Are you alright, Alex?"

He nodded, only to shrug when the man glared at him for the blatant lie. Sighing, his father-in-law turned to the others.

"Thank you for helping Alexander save Daniel. I fear what would have happened if he'd gone alone."

Jace scowled. "Who are you?" He responded, voice full of ice. "And how do you know Alec?"

Alec pursed his lips at the question, and at the hurt flowing from his parabatai's side of the bond. Alejandro and David were his most guarded secrets, even from his parabatai and he wasn't surprised that Jace was angry and hurt that he'd hidden it. After all, they told each other almost everything, and beyond his sexuality, he'd tried his hardest to be honest with him.

It made him wonder if Jace had even known he'd died all those years ago. If he knew just how close he'd been to staying in the afterlife with his family.

He doubted it.

"My name is Michael Vitalino and this is my son, Daniel. Alexander is my son-in-law." Michael responded, voice cooling in turn, his hand tightening briefly on Alec's arm before he continued. "And you are?"

Maryse cut in, her gaze guarded. "Maryse Lightwood, Alec's mother. These are my other children, Jace and Isabelle. Beside them are their friends Simon and Clarissa."

Michael nodded, glancing at Magnus and Luke, who introduced themselves as well, just as the vehicle came to a stop.

"We can talk inside. My wife is cleaning up what is left of Rico, so she will be a bit late."

Slipping from the vehicle, Alec fell in step beside his mother, who wrapped her hand around his wrist in a grounding fashion, her dark eyes warming if only slightly. He gifted her with a wan twitch of the lips, and leaned closer to her accepting the comfort she offered as they entered his in-laws home.

The memories assaulted him the moment they crossed the threshold.

Memories of meeting David's family, of learning to cook old Vitalino family recipes from Liza and Michael during his rare downtime. Memories of learning to play mundane video games with Daniel. Of laying in David's arms with Alejandro's tiny form held between them as his husband read to them. Of the house party Michael threw when they finally got their own apartment and moved out just after their wedding.

So many memories had been made here and each one was more bittersweet than the last, the pain he'd spent so long suppressing threatening to consume him as he stepped foot in the Vitalino home for the first time since losing his family.

His hands clenched into fists, but he took a seat, his mother following his lead as did the others until all but Michael were seated around the living room. Instead the crime lord moved over to the bookcase in the corner of the room and pulled out a beautifully black leather bound photo album, the gold lettering as familiar to Alec as his own.

David had handmade it, engraved it in gold ink as a wedding gift to Alec, and until the man's death it had been displayed proudly on their living room table. Afterwards, he'd given it to Michael for safe keeping, unable to bring himself to open it. Not when his husband and his son's blood stained a few of the pages.

Returning to the group, the man handed him the album, his dark eyes sad as they noted the way his hands trembled when he took it.

"Take your time, _tesoro. _I'm going to go help Lizzy with cleaning up."

Nodding, the archer turned his gaze back to the book in his hands, listening as the front door opened and then closed once more.

The questions began almost immediately.

"Alec, what the hell was that?"

"Who are these people?"

"What's going on?"

One after the other, Izzy and Jace talked over each other, both full of questions.

Of hurt and confusion.

Full of concern.

Maryse raised her hand to stop them, her glare chilling, before it turned on Alec and softened into an expression Jace and Izzy only remembered seeing if they were hurt.

"Talk to me, _hijo_."

Looking up from the album, he sighed heavily.

"I met David when I was sixteen, as I told you earlier. We got married on my seventeenth birthday, shortly before I began training as Head of the Institute. I-" He swallowed thickly, hands tightening their grip around the album in his hands.

"I found out that I was one of Mihael's blessed shortly after we got married. I ran into Luke-" he nodded to the werewolf, "outside of Jade wolf after I collapsed on the way to David's. He was the one who told me about Alejandro, our son." His husband's reaction to the news flashed in his mind's eye. The cruel words, the anger. The bruises.

He said none of it. Instead he skipped past it. After all, they wouldn't understand so they didn't need to know.

"_Rico_," He spit the name like a curse, "and his son ordered a hit on David. His son stormed our home and opened fire, killing Alejandro and David. Alejandro was only four years old."

Daniel sent him a look he didn't care to decipher, one of the only ones aware of just how his and David's relationship had changed in the months between their wedding and Alejandro's birth. Like Michael, he'd been angered by his brother's behavior and it had led to many arguments between the two. Arguments that had often only worsened Alec's fate.

"Rico said that you killed all of his men." Jace stated stoically. "According to Luke, over 80 people were killed in the original massacre at Rico's club. And when we got there...people were afraid of you."

Alec blinked, then looked at the album in his lap, running a gentle hand over the cover. He barely noticed that the tremor in his hand was gone.

"The night of their deaths...I killed as many of Rico's men as I could get my hands on, including his son. One hundred and four men died that last time Rico crossed me and those that witnessed it began calling me, The Banshee. Eliot, one of the witnesses later told me that I'd been crying, but I don't remember much from that night beyond the screams and the blood."

Maryse moved her hand from his wrist to the hand stroking the cover of the album, her heart leaping into her throat as she saw the picture on the cover. Alec wore an off-white tux, a gold tie around his neck. Beside him stood an older male in black, long crimson-streaked black hair loose to frame an aristocratic face. Aquamarine eyes danced as they gazed at the younger, who wore a smile brighter than any she'd ever seen grace his face.

He looked...happy.

It made her wonder about the scars in their marriage that he'd revealed to Alois the night before. The real pain and understanding he'd graced the woman with. She was tempted to ask, but a glance around reminded her that she wasn't in the best company to do so.

"May I?" She asked, instead and he hummed, his gaze lost in a memory only he could see. Almost hesitantly, he handed the album to her, curling in on himself as she opened it.

The others gathered around, curious and eager to forget what he'd just revealed to them.

One the first page was another picture of Alec and the man, David. David's hair was loose, falling into his face as he laughed at something Alec had said. Beside him, the archer watched with a tiny smile, the look in his eyes one of absolute awe. The next had a splatter of blood across it and her breath caught in her throat, especially when Alec gave a choked sound beside her.

In the picture was an infant wearing a dark tuxedo onesie, a gummy smile gracing his features. A headful of curly dark hair fell in disarray atop his head in a manner that she remembered from Alec's own infancy, his eyes the same color as David's.

"Oh, Alec." She breathed, her heart aching at the silent tears falling down her son's cheeks.

"He was such a happy baby." The archer revealed the love and grief in his voice unmistakable. "That was taken on David's birthday. We went out to dinner and I just- I couldn't not take a picture. Not when Liza kept comparing him to his papa. Told him he was a "mama's" boy for sure. That he looked as handsome in a tux as I did." A brittle smile danced across his lips, gaze trapped in memories far in the past.

Everything in her ached for her son and she closed the album, unwilling to put him through anymore pain that night. She opened her mouth to say as much, but to her surprise, Bane beat her there. The warlock placed a kind hand on Alec's shoulder, his lips curling into a sympathetic smile.

"I can't begin to imagine what you're going through, Alexander," He began and Alec swallowed, looking away from the warmth in those eyes. "But I am sorry for all that you've lost. We will leave you to your evening. Thank your family for helping us bring Rico to justice."

Her son nodded, something dancing in his eyes but she couldn't tell what it was. A similar look lurked in Bane's dark gaze as it skated over him, but before she could decipher what it meant, the downworlders were exchanging words with her children and then they were gone. Once they were gone, Jace moved to his parabatai's side, gaze haunted.

"A loss like that...Alec, I can feel how much it hurt you. How the hell did you survive?"

The darkness from before reared its head, and he looked away. Whatever he was feeling must have translated across their bond because her golden haired son paled.

"Alec...what did you do?"

Clarissa scowled. "He killed a lot of people." She muttered and Izzy sent her a dark glare, but placed a hand on her brother's arm.

"_Hermano?"_

He gently removed himself from their grasp, taking the album from her and standing. As he placed the album back where it had been previously, she heard the door open, a worried voice calling out.

"Daniel?! Alex?!"

Daniel smiled and stood, watching as a tiny burgundy haired woman entered the room, her blue eyes full of concern as she pulled the former captive into her arms. Pressing a kiss to his cheek, her gaze checked him over for wounds in a way Maryse found vaguely familiar, her heart warm and tinged with a bite of jealousy as that gaze was turned on her eldest son.

"Oh, Alex, thank you! Thank you!"

Alec smiled at her, kissing her cheek chastely. "No problem, _maman_. Daniel is my brother. We are _famiglia_."

The woman nodded in agreement, turning to them curiously. Her gaze found Maryse's immediately and the huntress bit back a glare at the anger in those eyes.

"Eliza Vitalino. Please, call me Liza. It's a pleasure to meet Alex's family."

"Maryse Lightwood. A pleasure to meet you." She replied coldly, something in her easing as her phone went off.

Checking the message, she sighed. "We need to return to the institute. Alec," He son glanced at her. "Don't forget we still have that meeting tomorrow."

He nodded, seeing the out for what it was, and squeezed her wrist in gratitude. Herding her other children (and their tag-alongs) out the door, she spared them a glance, wondering just how their lives were going to change now that Alec's secrets were coming to light.

She also found herself wondering about all that had been revealed and why David's family seemed so bittersweet about their marriage. Everything in her told her she knew the answer and yet…

She couldn't bring herself to admit it with herself.

Not yet.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

Four years.

Over four years had passed since she'd seen her son-in-law and she couldn't help the way her heart burst as she hugged him close. He returned it, once lean arms, strong as steel as they wrapped around her, his shoulders broader than they'd been all those years ago.

He'd grown so much.

She couldn't help but hurt for the fact that he'd done so mostly alone. Running a hand through the thick dark curls atop his head, and he stiffened.

He didn't cry, she hadn't seen him do so since they found him curled over her grandson's body, but the tiny tremors of his body spoke of the emotional exhaustion he felt and she just-

She wanted to cry for him.

When her David had come home with the slender teen all those years ago, she'd wanted to be angry. Here was this innocent boy, infatuated with her son, despite their age difference, and David had seemed to love him just as much. The two had been inseparable...at first. Still, Alex was young, much too young for her son and she'd wanted to warn him away.

It was his eyes that had stopped her.

There was something starved in his gaze, as if the affection shown by her boy was the only thing keeping his head above water, the fear in them vivid as David revealed that they were together.

She'd thought that maybe he'd grown up in a homophobic or even abusive household, and several things he did only enforced this. He sat in places where he could easily get to the exit, tensing slightly when people moved too close to him unexpectedly. She'd had the feeling that David knew what was going on, but until after their wedding, neither told them anything.

Then Alex had told them he was pregnant.

She'd been in disbelief, after all the boy was very much a male. Then He'd told them that he wasn't quite human, that he was a child soldier, quickly on his way to a leadership position in his world. He revealed that his relationship with David could get him killed, or exiled and that he would need to hide their son and she just-

She'd finally had her answers and they'd been so much better and so much worse than she'd feared.

Still she'd been excited to know that she was finally getting the grandchild she'd been yearning for.

David...hadn't been as excited.

She'd never been so ashamed of her son, especially as Alex started to draw further and further into himself. Every blooming bruise, every time the teen flinched from _his husband_, she felt as if she were trapped in a nightmare she couldn't quite escape. She and her husband had been consulting divorce lawyers on what could be done and counselors on how they could change things when, only days after AJ was born, her son began to change again.

The seemingly endless rage in him seemed to have calmed with their son's birth and Alex was turning up with less bruises each time she saw him so she let them be.

But she never forgot.

Alex hadn't either if the faint glimmers of fear she caught in his eyes at times were any indication.

Then David and AJ had been killed.

And after their funeral, Alex had vanished.

She'd feared he was dead, especially after word of the Rico massacre had reached their ears.

It was only when they'd spied him at the cemetery on David's birthday that they realized he wasn't.

A few months later, he began to talk to them again, calling but never visiting and they'd settled into a new normal. She had no idea how much she'd missed him until she'd seen him sitting in their living room.

And she said as much.

He pulled away, thin lips curling in a tiny, barely there smile, so different from the wide ones that had once graced those handsome features.

"I missed you all too. I just-" He shrugged, looking away and she hummed, grinning at him, and at Daniel, who was watching them both with soft eyes.

"Go rest," She commanded. "I'll make us all a late dinner."

The two shared a glance then sighed. "Yes, ma'am."

Watching them leave she felt her heart swell when they exited, her son leaning heavily on his brother in law as the pain of his injuries hit him. Alec helped him diligently, and as they began their trek up the stairs she tried to pretend she wasn't imagining a third taller figure walking along with them, a deep laugh echoing in her ears.

***/***

"Is it true?"

Since that terrifying night, only three nights prior, that question had dogged his footsteps and with each passing moment, he couldn't help but wonder who'd been foolish enough to open their mouth.

When he had joined the Rico famiglia fifteen years previous, he had done so because he wasn't good at much else. He was strong, and loyal, but he wasn't as good at the academic shit. That's not to say that he was stupid, but most of it seemed pointless when you could just knock a few heads together and get the same results. It was only when his wife had gotten sick that he'd asked for Rico to give him a job at the club, knowing that his love's fragile health wouldn't be able to take the strain of him continuing his original job working as Rico's second best enforcer.

He'd never regretted a decision more, and yet he couldn't help but wonder if it was the only thing that had kept him alive.

After all, the day The Banshee had first attacked Rico, over four years previous, had been his first day working as the club bouncer. He'd been late, his wife having had a particularly bad spell, and when he'd arrived.

He shuddered in remembrance.

When he'd arrived, it was to a high pitched keening cry ringing through the air full of grief and fury. To a lean dark haired creature with angel wings darker than the abyss, and pale skin covered in old runic markings he didn't understand. The scent of copper was thick, and all around them was blood and bodies in indescribable states, but worse, the creature never stopped crying. Those dark eyes were full of the same pain and grief as the sound that left their owner's throat, tears leaving them only to evaporate as they slid down his blood splattered cheeks.

He'd wanted to run, but terror had struck him still, his heart racing in his chest, breath trapped in his lungs, and he couldn't help but think he was going to die.

He'd been certain of it.

Then a miracle happened.

The creature vanished, not even noticing his arrival.

The second it was gone...he'd fled.

He'd fled home to his wife and hugged her as if he could do nothing else. Then he'd, reluctantly, called the police, hoping they'd at least be able to identify the people that the creature had killed.

It had haunted him for years to come. Hell, it haunted him still.

He'd been almost thankful when the Boss reappeared almost a year later, though the scar marring his face was forever a vivid reminder of what had happened.

He'd listened as rumors began to spread of the massacre, listened as slowly a name was whispered...a reason.

Xander Vitalino.

The Banshee.

The moniker had come from another man, Eliot, the only person that the creature had knowing spared, a civilian.

Suddenly, his fear had a name, and worse, it was a _powerful_ name.

The Vitalino Famiglia, headed by Michael Vitalino.

The single most influential syndicate in the _world_.

The only famiglia with the power to completely destroy their family and had a reason to.

A reason that he knew would eventually be traced back to _him_.

After all, he'd been the reason that Rico had ordered Vitalino's son killed.

He'd hoped it would never resurface.

That _Xander Vitalino_ had only been a specter, a creature that could be banished.

Then, Rico had drawn the Banshee back into the light.

Tossing back his shot, Victor Vasaria heaved a heavy sigh, feeling as if a the reaper's blade was pressed ever so gently to his throat.

"Yeah," He responded to the woman sitting beside him and her expression morphed into one as fearful as his own had been. "Xander Vitalino has returned."

***/***

Her brother had been married.

Somehow, that thought continued to circulate through her mind in the days following the revelation of the double life he'd led. When he'd returned to the institute the day after they'd discovered his past, he and their mother had been swept into a series of meetings with the Clave. On top of that, she and Jace had been helping Clary with finding her mother and as such, they hadn't gotten a chance to speak to either of the elder Lightwoods about what had happened.

It was driving her insane.

How?

How had Alec managed to hide this from them for so long and why was it that _their mother_, a woman who very rarely paid attention to them beyond their mission success, knew before she did. If it had been their father, she'd understand, after all he paid more attention to them, but their _mom?!_

Why did she feel so betrayed by this fact?

Her mind went back to the warmth their mom had shown during their talk at the Vitalino's house, the way she'd seemed to be the only thing grounding Alec in the present and she wondered when they'd gotten so close. Alec had never been too close to either of their parents as far as she had known, too mature and independent to lean on either the way she and Jace did, and afraid of their reaction to his sexuality.

Yet, Maryse hadn't been surprised when he revealed that he'd been married to a man. The only part of the explanation that had surprised her was the revelation of his son and the fact that he'd killed the people responsible.

"Penny for your thoughts?" She startled, a wide smile crossing her lips as she saw who was standing in the door of her lab.

"Dad!" She greeted hugging him. He gave her a warm smile and hugged her back, raising a curious eyebrow.

"You didn't even notice I was there. Normally you have better reflexes." He commented and she blushed slightly.

"Sorry, I had a lot on my mind."

Concern flitted across his features. "Wanna talk about it?"

She thought about it, about the betrayal Alec would no doubt feel if she revealed his past and she sighed.

"Not yet. Some of it isn't mine to tell." He nodded, then began to lead her from the lab stating that he had a surprise for her and the others.

To her surprise he led her to Alec's office, and knocked.

Their mother answered, dark eyes widening slightly, then icing over as they landed on their father.

"Robert, Isabelle." She greeted, "Come in we were just listening to Max tell us why he isn't in Mumbai."

She grinned while their Dad groaned. "Max I thought I told you this was a surprise."

Alec chuckled and she looked over to find him sitting beside their baby brother, the shadows in his eyes lighter than they'd been a few days prior. In fact, had she not seen the horrifying expression he'd worn when he told them about his family she wouldn't have ever guessed how much grief was hidden behind that smile. Next to him, Max was smirking mischievously, his messy dark hair similar to how Alec's had been at that age, his eyes the same kaleidoscope of colors as their elder brother.

Actually, now that she was looking, Max shared much of their mom and Alec's appearance while she took more after their dad, and she couldn't help but be reminded of the picture they'd seen of Alec's late son.

He'd be around the same age as Max was now if she remembered right.

Oh.

Oh Raziel.

Her heart broke for her brother as a sudden realization struck her.

Alec had been Max's main caretaker until he'd gone to the academy a year ago. Which meant he'd been taking care of their brother and mourning the loss of his own child all at once.

How had he survived?

She Knew Alec, knew that he loved stronger than anyone in their family. The loss should've destroyed him, especially if he had been protecting his son at the time of the child's death.

So how-?

Frowning, she glanced over at her brother, who met her gaze and nodded.

They would talk...later. She could only hope that he would answer her questions...and that she could find out just how close to the edge he really was.

**TBC...**


End file.
